How Katie Goudie, CMP, Made Her Comeback After the Pandemic
Meet Katie Goudie, CMP, who lives in Rocklin, CA. She graduated from MHTP in 2016 and is certified in Harp and Voice.
Katie came to MHTP through the connections she made as a volunteer piano player in the lobby of Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center in Roseville, CA. It was there that she met Aileen Kelley, CMP, who ran the volunteer and CMP programs there.
Aileen generously lent Katie a harp and encouraged her to take a look at MHTP and learn how other therapeutic musicians were providing services. Aileen is part of Music Partners in Healthcare (mpih.org), which is a robust organization that partners with healthcare facilities in Sacramento, CA, and surrounding counties to provide live therapeutic music at the bedside. Katie appreciated how they mentored her as a developing CMP. She says, "It was truly a gift to be able to talk with other CMPs through MPIH."
Encouraged by Aileen and others, Katie took harp lessons and began taking the MHTPs modules to become a Certified Music Practitioner. Being a busy young mom, she had a strong desire to continue to try to make it work financially. She applied for and was granted some scholarship funds through Music Partners in Healthcare, for which she was very grateful. With that help, she was able to continue her training to become a CMP.
As the pandemic came into being, Katie’s work shut down, like many other therapeutic musicians. She remembers, “Right before COVID, I was due to submit paperwork to keep my certification current and didn’t understand how the timing of CEUs worked. We (CMPs) stopped working. I thought, well, I’ll just hold my CEU information and submit it when I start again, but when I did, I realized those years of the COVID shutdown and my not working didn’t matter. Now I understand. Any healthcare credential has to be kept current. However, while I was not working, I started writing songs. The pandemic pushed me to do something that I hadn’t done before. Now being a songwriter, it has helped build a good foundation that I could bring to my work as a CMP providing therapeutic music."
To keep current with her required CEUs, Katie chose a mix of attending an Enrichment Day put on by MPIH, doing two book reports, reviewing two podcasts, and attending a Module training. Katie was also able to apply a CEUs from outside training she was doing that directly applied to her work as a CMP.
Today, Katie works at four facilities; two different hospitals, a memory care facility, and a hospice organization. She enjoys the variety of work as a CMP. She works at Sutter Roseville Medical Center and communicates with the Chaplains for patient referrals.
She also works at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, which is a smaller hospital, First Call, which is a hospice, and a day program for memory care. As a CMP, she encounters a wide range of patients.
Katie has a real passion for using her voice in her work. She shares, "I use my voice a lot. It is really beneficial to patients in memory care. I usually start off with what I consider the safest song, Home on the Range. It is a multiple-generational song. The lyrics talk about the meadow, animals, and the sky. It is one of my Go to songs, and people respond to it really well."
When asked what was one unique feature about using the voice specifically in certain settings, Katie answers, “It is the human voice. It is comparable to a touch or hug, more connected somehow. Like how moms sing lullabies to their children. By experience, I know when it is a good time to introduce the voice or not."
How does Katie feel about the work climate right now as a CMP in our post-pandemic times? “I feel it is a really good time to introduce yourself to healthcare facilities. The patients and family appreciate what we have to offer. With the limitations of COVID lifted now, everyone who works in facilities, especially the administration, is really wanting to have therapeutic music back. The hospital staff know how important therapeutic music is, and it is important to them that they can show the community that they can provide these services."
What does Katie enjoy most about being a CMP? “The connection with people. Sometimes it is really heavy, but I come away feeling calmness and gratitude and grab on to that. You can always find lots of love, from family and staff. That’s what I carry with me when I walk away instead of some sad things we see."
She shares a final thought, "The most powerful experience recently I had was with a person in the ICU. They were plugged into all kinds of equipment. I played for them and then when I stopped, they opened their eyes and nodded their head up and down. I thought about how much energy that must have taken for them. We can communicate with someone without speaking any words. I love the work."
Well done, Katie, for getting back on board after the pandemic and doing meaningful and rewarding work by providing live therapeutic music. Thank you for all you do!
